Is oil a replenishable resource?

[Manedwolf]

We have over 500 years of coal left in the US, last I saw.

[Balog]

Like anthropogenic global warming? [/rimshot]

I think you've just hoisted yourself rather than me. If you think AGW has little scientific backing I've got some low lying land in Norfolk to sell you.

All kinds of silly theories have had "lots of backing" and "consensus in the scientific community." Doesn't mean they aren't bs.

[mfree]

If the energy situation were actually a crisis, why is nobody acting like it?

[gaston_45]

IT would make more sense to switch to a renewable energy source.  I would suggest electric cars and trying to get people to become solar dependent.  If there is no sun, then you have big problems. 

I see this electricity thing a lot.  One question though.  Where is this electricity supposed to come from?  Electric cars sound great until you realize that the electricity is generated by mostly coal fired power plants!

[Tecumseh]

IT would make more sense to switch to a renewable energy source.  I would suggest electric cars and trying to get people to become solar dependent.  If there is no sun, then you have big problems. 

I see this electricity thing a lot.  One question though.  Where is this electricity supposed to come from?  Electric cars sound great until you realize that the electricity is generated by mostly coal fired power plants!

  I am sorry you misunderstood me.  I mentioned solar power because we could start using solar power as a more effective means of powering our country. 

We just start working towards making our society more dependent on renewable energy.  As well as taking an approach that is less wasteful of energy.  Here is an excellent example of this...

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

My town gives tax breaks if the builders follow their guidelines. 

Fixed Link.

[Perd Hapley]

You live in Leeds? 

[Gewehr98]

I am sorry you misunderstood me.  I mentioned solar power because we could start using solar power as a more effective means of powering our country.

Minor problem with that - look at the energy and resources consumed in production of photovoltaic panels sometime.  You don't get something for nothing, and with the current costs of solar electricity, amortization will take a LONG time.

I know, my garage shop is running partially on solar electricity as an experiment of sorts prior to me making the big jump to off grid.

[Tecumseh]

You live in Leeds? 

  I posted the wrong link.  I fixed it. 
It is "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and I was reading both links.

Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

[Sergeant Bob]

Actually, there are some possible advancements to solar power which may make it highly affordable and not required huge panels or large amounts of silicon to produce. The media might actually be sprayed on or actually incorporated into building materials so a whole building might act as a solar panel and would be cheap enough for most everyone to use.

New Nanostructured Thin Film Shows Promise For Efficient Solar Energy Conversion

[grampster]

I read somewhere that there are 2 trillion barrels of oil, 1.2 trillion that is extractable using today's technology at a cost of $40.00 a barrel in the Green River watershed out west.  Anyone else stumble across this info?

[vernal45]

You are correct grampster

[Perd Hapley]

You live in Leeds? 

  I posted the wrong link.  I fixed it. 
It is "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and I was reading both links.

Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

I saw that your profile had you in Illinois.  Where?  If you don't mind the question.

[Sergeant Bob]

You live in Leeds? 

  I posted the wrong link.  I fixed it. 
It is "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and I was reading both links.

Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

I saw that your profile had you in Illinois.  Where?  If you don't mind the question.

I hope it's not O'Fallon, IL. They have a saying about people from O'Fallon.
They can't go outside when it's raining because, their noses stick so far up in the air that they would drown.

[K Frame]

The company I work for has a very active research project going right now developing nanostructure thin film solar applications. Primary sponsor is, IIRC, NASA, but DARPA is also involved. As a viable technology vector it's showing great promise.

One possible application is window films that would be barely visible when installed between two panes of glass.

[Joe Demko]

I have a brother who has a PhD. in Geology and works for one of the big oil companies.  I asked him about this.  He considers it "very, very unlikely."

[Tecumseh]

You live in Leeds? 

  I posted the wrong link.  I fixed it. 
It is "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and I was reading both links.

Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

I saw that your profile had you in Illinois.  Where?  If you don't mind the question.

  I live in Normal, Illinois.  Its about 2 1/2 hours south of Chicago.  About 45 minutes away from Champaign-Urbana. 

[Perd Hapley]

I live in Normal, Illinois.  Its about 2 1/2 hours south of Chicago.  About 45 minutes away from Champaign-Urbana.   

I was there last summer.  My wife went to school there.  She's from Champaign.  We live in the Saint Louis area. 

[Tecumseh]

A buddy of mine is from that area.  I have passed through but never stayed.  I know a few friends down at Edwardsville and they love St. Louis.

[lupinus]

Oil is just about everywhere and there is a lot right here at home.

The problem is it isn't PC to drill for it in a lot of areas.  Everyone wants oil, no one wants an oil rig next to them....they always want it somewhere else.

We need to look for other ways.  Nuclear power is a great alternative, and I'd bet if we really threw some money at it fusion could be made viable as well, along with many other ways.  But rather then doing, peopel bitch.

"Oh, hydrogen will take new infrastructure and you'd have a tank full of explosives in your car!!!"  Ok, new infrastructure.  What do you think happens in a few decades when our entire oil infrastructure needs serious work anyway?  And what the hell do you think that tank of gasoline is?

People love bitching, they hate fixing.

[Declaration Day]

"Oh, hydrogen will take new infrastructure and you'd have a tank full of explosives in your car!!!"  Ok, new infrastructure.  What do you think happens in a few decades when our entire oil infrastructure needs serious work anyway?  And what the hell do you think that tank of gasoline is?

People love bitching, they hate fixing.

Here's some interesting info about hydrogen:  http://planetforlife.com/h2/h2swiss.html

Note that I cannot vouch for any of the claims in this article.  I am merely providing the link for your scrutiny.

[RocketMan]

...and I'd bet if we really threw some money at it fusion could be made viable as well, along with many other ways. 

Actually, we've thrown billions at fusion power over the decades, to no real effect.  We have not even reached reliable, repeatable energy break-even point where the amount of energy put into the reaction is offset by what can be taken out.
In my opinion, fusion will never be viable.

[lupinus]

If it is possible it can be made viable.  I bet that decades ago people would have said the same thing about fission

[RocketMan]

If it is possible it can be made viable.  I bet that decades ago people would have said the same thing about fission

It didn't take decades to achieve usable fission with a net excess of energy.  Fission is comparitively easy.
They've been pouring billions into fusion since at least the 50's without substantial result.